We are thinking about making a camping trip to the Franklin NC area in July. Looking for recommendations for an RV park in that area.
There area several things we want to see and do on this trip (Biltmore estate, Cherohala Skyway, Okoee river rafting, Smokey Mtn park, etc). We usually stay in the Townsend TN area but are burned out on it.
Does anyone have personal experience / recommendations on RV parks in the Franklin area? I've checked out Rvparkreviews.com and there sounds like some good parks based on that.
Another alternative for us is to get a cabin in that area, take the Altima and save about $500 on fuel.
If you decide not to camp, we have stayed HERE many times over the years. Ideal location for all the sights you want to see, and located about 10 miles north of Franklin.
Turk2500
05 Jayco Eagle, 278FBS, UVW 7,063lbs, GVWR 9,000lbs.
Tongue Weight: Dry 913lbs/Loaded 1,200lbs.
02 Chevy, 2500HD/4x4, 6.0L/4:10, EC/LS/SB, Prodigy, GCWR 16,000lbs.
TV/TT loaded: 14,700lbs.
Putnam XDR Class V, Reese HP Dual Cam.
00 HD Road King Classic.
Sorry I can't comment on area campgrounds, but we were in that area in early may. Actually we stayed at the Fairfield resort in Sapphire and visited the Sheffield Mine in Franklin. I would def reccomend visiting it. We found a 29.5 ct Ruby, a 14 ct ruby and than a dozen smaller ones there. Not bad for half a day's work,lol. The mine is ran very we'll and everyone has a ton of fun:
http://www.sheffieldmine.com/
Also if you don't mind taking about a 30-40 min drive the largest waterfall east of the mississipi is located just past Sapphire with a nice easy walking trail to get to it. Another thing you can check out is the Sapphire Mountain Brewing Co where they brew their own beer and make your pizza on a woodfire. pretty neat to watch.
Also, not sure what your towing or with but some of those mountains are pretty hilly. Have a fun trip.
Are you sure you want to stay in Franklin? To do the things you have listed is going to involve a lot of driving back and forth on two-lane mountain roads. Biltmore Estate is near Asheville and you will drive two hours before you get to the Cherohalla Skyway (outside Robbinsville)and more than two hours to the Ocoee River (near Ducktown,TN). Have you considered Murphy instead? There are three really attractive river-side campgrounds here, one just opened last year.They are Peace Valley Campground, Rivers Edge Mountain Resort, and Valley River RV Resort. Our friends speak highly of all three. From Rivers Edge Mountain Resort, you would be about 35 minutes from the Ocoee River via US 64 which is four-laned. You could also access the Cherohalla Skyway via NC 294 and TN 68 to Tellico Plains, TN, about an hours drive. From either of the "Valley" campgrounds (both on the Valley River), you can access the Nantahala River for rafting in about 30 minutes (four-lane road to Nantahala Gorge) and the Skyway via Robbinsville in about 45 minutes. Allow yourself several hours to drive the skyway itself. You have a great agenda but may not be aware of how long it can take to drive 30 miles around here.
We just returned from the Smokies last week. We stayed in the National Park, but there are no hook-ups; it was COLD and beautiful though.
Check out The Great Outdoors near Franklin.
Or if you decide to leave the trailer at home, I second the suggestion by TURK 2500. Mountainbrook Cottages are a great place, very quaint, built in the 30's and run by a very nice family. We have stayed there several times.
Moonshine Creek is hard to reach, very remote, and not near any of the attractions you are looking for.
We stayed at The Great Outdoors RV Resort last year for the 4th of July weekend. This is a newer campground. The campground was nice and the workers were friendly. Aside from a swimming pool, there are not many amenities. There were very few people there so we practically had the park to ourselves. It seems most of the things we did were about a 1/2 hour to 45 minute drive. We rafted on the Nantahala river, drove to Maggie Valley for Ghost Riders In The Sky, and found a great brewery in Sylva called Heinzelmannchen.
Mike and Sharon Villano
2003 Fleetwood Southwind 36B
2002 Saturn L100
Shelties, Bond and Charlotte
Thanks for the replies. The input is appreciated. With the high cost of towing a camper, we are starting to look at a cabin for a week.
We originally thought Franklin would be the place to stay since we have friends from FL staying in the area that week. I've now been checking out cabins all the way from Murphy to Ashville. A friend referred me to a great website, www.vrbo.com (vacation rentals by owner). I've already been in touch with some cabin owners.
We've rafted the Nantahala about 3 times, thought the Ocoee would be a nice change. Did Unto These Hills last year, wasn't as impressive as I had remembered (of course, last time I was 6). Got on the Cherohala Skyway by accident last year, want to spend a whole day on it this year. Gonna try and make time for Biltmore. I'm sure I've got more on my wish list than I can get done in a week. Now that ya'll have mentioned gem mines and brewerys, I may have to extend it by another day or two!
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